Supreme Court Litigation Clinic

L02.2585/2586 Professor Donald B. Ayer Professor Samuel Estreicher Professor Meir Feder Open to 3L and 2L students Maximum of 8-10 students		Year-long course 10-12 credits* No pre-requisites or co-requisites (see "Qualifications for Applicants" below) Supreme Court Litigation Clinic Website

Introduction

The Supreme Court Litigation Clinic will be offered to 8-10 students as a full-year, 10-credit clinical course. Two additional credits are available for directed research under faculty supervision; this will also satisfy the school’s writing requirement.

Course Description
The Supreme Court Litigation Clinic addresses appellate litigation before the U.S. Supreme Court, with a particular focus on pro-bono representation of prisoners (both prisoner appeals and civil action seeking affirmative relief) and those bringing immigration, environment, civil rights and other non-employment claims against federal, state and local governments.

Fieldwork
The fieldwork involves working with clinic faculty which (in addition to Prof. Estreicher) will include two distinguished Supreme Court practitioners from a major law firm’s issues and appeals practice. Although the Supreme Court does not authorize student argument, students will be engaged in every other aspect of practice before the high court, including (1) drafting petitions for certiorari and oppositions; (2) drafting merits briefs when working on cases that have been granted review; (3) drafting amicus briefs in cases where other lawyers are representing the parties; and (4) participation in discussions with other counsel, participation in moot courts, and attendance at oral arguments. Depending on the clinic’s Supreme Court caseload, to give students an opportunity to work on a case they can argue, the clinic will take on assigned counsel assignments from the U.S. Courts of Appeals and the New York Court of Appeals.

The Seminar
The seminar’s focus is enhancing the student’s analytical, written and oral skills. The seminar will discuss work on pending cases involving the clinic and will also, time permitting, have students in a simulation setting briefing and arguing criminal law and other cases on the Supreme Court docket.

Qualifications for Applicants
Both second-year and third-year students are eligible to take this clinic. There are no prerequisites, but students will find it useful to have taken Criminal Procedure or to take it concurrently with the clinic.

Application Procedure
Students interested in applying for the clinic should submit the standard application, resume, and  transcript online through CAMS. Students may be interviewed by clinic faculty. If so, Susan Hodges will call to arrange a date and time. If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Hodges at susan.hodges@nyu.edu.

Student Contacts
This is  the second year of this clinic. Students should feel free to contact those who have taken the clinic in its first year, as well as  those who have taken the clinic faculty’s previous courses in Supreme Court Practice and Appellate Advocacy Workshop.

2007-08 SCLC students
Michelle Christenson
Julie Ehrlich
Brian Johnston
Jessica Kim
Jessica Lonergan
Anna MacCormack
Terry McMahon
David Noll
Liana Roza
Marie Ann Tenny


* 10 credits includes 3 clinical credits and 2 academic seminar credits each semester. Two additional credits are available for directed research, which will also satisfy the school’s writing requirement.